Botanical classification: Prunus persica. 
In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. In an effort to exhibit recessive traits, I also grow a lesser number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits. In my breeding grounds during the summer of 1996 I gathered open pollinated seeds from several different white flesh nectarine trees. One particular group of these seeds was collected from xe2x80x98Candy Whitexe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,924), a white flesh freestone nectarine. This group of seeds, designated as xe2x80x9c3P282 (OP)xe2x80x9d, was germinated and grown as seedlings on their own root in my greenhouse. Upon reaching dormancy these seedlings were transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley).
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as xe2x80x98Diamond Pearlxe2x80x99. It was selected by me during the 1999 fruiting season as a single plant from the group of open pollinated seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of xe2x80x98Nemaguardxe2x80x99 rootstock (unpatented) upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its parent, xe2x80x98Candy Whitexe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,293) nectarine by producing nectarines that are globose in shape, firm in texture, mostly red in skin color, and white in flesh color, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that is clingstone instead of freestone and that matures about 14 days earlier.
The present variety is most similar to June Pearl (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,360) nectarine by producing nectarines that are white in flesh color, nearly full red in skin color, clingstone in type and subacid in flavor, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that is much larger in size, somewhat sweeter in flavor, globose instead of oblong in shape, and matures about six days earlier.